Effects Of Tricoderma on Mycorrhiza

We do not use a pre bagged blend of Mycorrhizae and Trichoderma for the following reasons:

If you Google Mycorrhiza, effects of trichoderma, you will have a number of papers come up with the same conclusion.
There doesn't appear to be any problem in the soil when Mycorrhiza is used to colonize roots and trichoderma such as BioWork's Rootshield is used for pathogen suppression.
RootShield spores are alive and Granules become active in temperatures above 50, When you have a mixture of the two, Tricoderma and Mycorrhiza with no other food source, the trichoderma will feed on mycorrhizal spores if it does not have a food source available.
Putting trichoderma and Mycorrhiza into the same bag would be like putting snakes and baby bunnies in the same cage.

Alicia Martinez¹, Mariana Obertello², Alejandro Pardo², Juan A. Ocampo³  and Alicia Godeas¹

Received: 28 November 2002  Accepted: 26 March 2003  Published online: 30 April 2003

Abstract  The interaction between Trichoderma pseudokoningii (Rifai) 511, 2212, 741A, 741B and 453 and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe BEG12 and Gigaspora rosea Nicolson & Schenck BEG9 were studied in vitro and in greenhouse experiments. All T. pseudokoningii strains inhibited the germination of G. mosseae and Gi. rosea except the strain 453, which did not affect the germination of Gi. rosea. Soluble exudates and volatile substances produced by all T. pseudokoningii strains inhibited the spore germination of G. mosseae. The germination of Gi. rosea spores was inhibited by the soluble exudates produced by T. pseudokoningii 2212 and 511, whereas T. pseudokoningii 714A and 714B inhibited the germination of Gi. rosea spores by the production of volatile substances. The strains of T. pseudokoningii did not affect dry matter and percentage of root length colonization of soybean inoculated with G. mosseae, except T. pseudokoningii 2212, which inhibited both parameters. However, all T. pseudokoningii strains decreased the shoot dry matter and the percentage of AM root length colonization of soybean inoculated with Gi. rosea. The saprotrophic fungi tested seem to affect AM colonization of root by effects on the presymbiotic phase of the AM fungi. No influence of AM fungi on the number of CFUs of T. pseudokoningii was found. The effect of saprotrophic fungi on AM fungal development and function varied with the strain of the saprotrophic species tested.

Keywords  Arbuscular mycorrhiza -  Glomus mosseae  -  Gigaspora rosea  -  Glycine max  - Saprotrophic fungi

RTI produces several strains of arbuscular mycorrhizae as follows:
Glomus intraradices 801, G intraradices 602, G clarum, G claroideum, G etunicatum, G deserticola, G mosseae
RTI products are used for post fire rehab in the West, habitat restoration of gas and oil exploration roads, hydro seeding as well as general AG and horticulture applications.
My recommendations to Giant Pumpkin Growers will always be G intraradices 801 because this particular strain has given the best results in growth and yield of agricultural crops.
I don't think growers in New England would benefit much from G. deserticola, an isolate from the Mojave Desert.
RTI’s G etunicatum originated in hardwood forests in the Northern Midwest and RTI’s clarum and claroideum came from selections made by Brazilian scientists.
RTI’s isolates have an accession record at INVAM (Institute of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Cultures, U of WV) except for 801 which was an isolate that can from a now defunct UT company and RTI’s G mosseae which is isolated in CA.
RTI offers growers a 3 species blend of G intraradices, G clarum and G claroideum because they have good growth and yield properties.